GRA ‘not ruling out’ any action amid deteriorating relations with Commissioner

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has said it has not ruled out any action in response to a deteriorating relationship with Commissioner Drew Harris.

The organisation for rank-and-file members of An Garda Siochana said it does not see a way forward in its ongoing dispute with the Commissioner over rosters.

The escalation of rhetoric comes after almost 99% of gardai who voted in a ballot organised by the GRA expressed no confidence in the Commissioner two weeks ago.

The unprecedented vote stemmed from discontent within the force, mostly around the Commissioner’s plan to return to a pre-pandemic “Westmanstown” roster from November 6.

The Westmanstown Roster is a five-unit/10-week roster which operates on a six days on, four days off basis of 10-hour shifts, except for eight hours on Sundays.

Currently, gardai work 12-hour shifts for four days and then have four days off as part of a roster which was temporarily introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to the media ahead of the GRA’s special delegates conference in Co Kilkenny on Wednesday, the organisation’s president Brendan O’Connor said he had “even less confidence” in the commissioner following a meeting with Mr Harris on Tuesday.

GRA general-secretary Ronan Slevin said: “We had a vote of no confidence in the commissioner two weeks ago and 99% of our members balloted decided they didn’t have confidence in the commissioner.

“We allowed two weeks for progress to be made in relation to the issue of the November 6 deadline, which we asked the commissioner to remove, which would allow us to go into discussions and finding a solution to the issue of rosters alone.

“As of yesterday, that didn’t happen so as it stands at the moment we don’t see a way forward until that deadline has been addressed.”

Mr O’Connor said garda management’s handling of the roster negotiations “shows a complete contempt for the welfare of our members”.

He added: “There’s growing anger and resentment among our members about how they’re being treated.”

Mr Slevin said the current reduced workforce numbers do not support a return to the pre-pandemic roster.

Asked about whether rank-and-file members would work to rule, refuse to take up overtime or refuse to use their personal phones, Mr Slevin said all options remain on the table.

Mr Slevin said: “The commissioner made it very clear yesterday that the rosters will be imposed on November 6, in his view, and he did not give us any cause for any hope that anything different would come from that. It appears that the commissioner is adamant that his position will not change.

“We are very reasonable, we have been working hard behind the scenes discussing possible solutions to the impasse that is there at the moment.

“We believed that we have reached a point where we could progress matters but as of the decision of the commissioner yesterday, all that was futile.”

Mr Slevin said the delegates conference would discuss the issue.

“We will have a discussion with our delegates, I won’t pre-empt their decisions, I leave that totally to themselves. Absolutely everything is on the table, I am not discounting everything. I am not ruling out anything.”

Speaking in the Dail on Wednesday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar reaffirmed his support for Mr Harris.

Mr Varadkar said the logical next step is to go to the Workplace Relations Commission or the Labour Court.

“The only way to resolve differences is through talking and through engagement.

“If it can’t be solved bilaterally, and sometimes these things can’t be sorted out bilaterally through unions and management, it goes to the WRC [ or the Labour Court.

“Gardai fought very hard for the right to go to the WRC or the Labour Court and I believe that is what should now happen.”